Pleurotus Eryngii (King Oyster Mushroom)

Pleurotus Eryngii originated from the shores of Mediterranean Sea. It is therefore found in the Middle East and areas in the northern part of Africa. Other names used to refer to this mushroom include French Horn and King Trumpet Royale. Sometimes it is also called the Boletus of the Steppes, King Trumpet Mushroom or Trumpet Royale.

This mushroom is also found in Asia where they are farmed. Other countries that have undertaken to grow this mushroom commercially include Japan, South Korea, Italy, Australia, South Africa and the US. The mushroom’s Italian name is Cardoncello. It belongs to the genus of the Oyster mushroom and it happens to be the largest in that family. It has a tiny cap but its stem is thick and meaty.

Once harvested the mushroom does not go bad quickly. It is an edible type of mushroom that has a nice aroma. It is the one ingredient that a chef might want in the kitchen since it is not just large but very delicious. As one of the mushrooms that people grow for food worldwide, Pleurotus Eryngii ranks 3rd in amounts produced. It is a mushroom with generous amounts of nutrients including carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and fibre. This sounds much like a balanced diet and the mushroom is bound to keep people healthy.

Medicinal Properties

The Pleurotus Eryngii mushroom has antioxidants that help to keep disease away. The antioxidant in this mushroom comes in the form of an amino acid known as ergothioneine. When a person consumes the mushroom, the ergothioneine finds its way to the vulnerable areas of the body and sets off cleansing them. These sensitive areas include the eyes, the kidney and the liver. Antioxidants are elements that reverse oxidation. Oxidation is the process that causes rotting or disintegration of substances. For instance, the process of oxidation will cause a piece of meat to rot while the same process will cause body cells to disintegrate. Body cells do not necessarily rot after oxidation, but they create free radicals which essentially are damaged cells. Just like a damaged patch of a fruit causes more of the fruit to rot, so do damaged body cells. That is how cancerous cells spread. An antioxidant is very precious because it gets rid of these dangerous free radicals and the healthy cells are left in a healthy environment.

This mushroom also carries statins, which are disease fighting compounds. The particular compound found in the mushroom, Pleurotus Eryngii, is called Lovastatin. It is a compound that helps to clear cholesterol from your circulatory system. Once the blood is free of cholesterol, blood circulation is enhanced and the body feels healthier. A research done on mice in 2009 indicated that Pleurotus Eryngii has the effect of controlling insulin in the body too. These findings were also confirmed by research done by Richard Sullivan: University of Strathclude; Medicinal Mushrooms –Their Therapeutic Properties, Richard Sullivan, May 2002.

Cholesterol accumulates in the body usually due to poor feeding habits mostly through regular consumption of refined foods. Another way is through consumption of fibrous foods that have been cooked over high heat for long spells until the nutritional value is diminished.

This mushroom is also an excellent energy booster and many sportsmen are pondering how they can get a regular supply so that they can incorporate it in their diet.

Pleurotus Eryngii is also credited with improving blood levels. This is important in an era when the number of people suffering from anaemia is on the increase. The nutrients in this mushroom that help to raise the haemoglobin are considered invaluable in the medical field.

It is also reported that the Pleurotus Eryngii mushroom has antibacterial properties. There are very many diseases that are caused by bacteria including cholera and tetanus. So a plant that can fight bacteria is definitely a life saver. It becomes all the more significant because a natural remedy like a mushroom rarely has adverse side effects.

Other uses

The Pleurotus Eryngii mushroom has other uses that impact on health but in an indirect manner. The mushroom is a ligninolytic fungus that is able to remediate agricultural by products or actual waste to become healthy consumables for domestic animals. This ensures that farmers can rear animals for meat or milk cheaply. This in turn helps to raise people’s health when nutritious foods become affordable to many people.

In the same light, the mushroom, through its ligninolytic properties, helps to rid the environment of otherwise hazardous by-products. Among the material rendered harmless by the powers of this mushroom are contaminants that are a product of industrial activity. Others are organic pollutants. Xenobiotics are taken care of by the Pleurotus Eryngii mushroom in the same manner.